1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a method of and apparatus for cleaning planar vehicular surfaces of contaminants and more particularly of cleaning roadways and airport runways of rubber deposits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reduced traction that results from rubber deposits that accumulate on runways and roadways as a result of tire wear poses a potential danger for vehicles using such surfaces. Airport runways are a particularly bothersome problem because of the large amounts of rubber deposited due to the tire skidding during tire spin-up at the point of wheel touch down on the runway. As a result, several methods of and apparatuses for cleaning the runway of these deposits have been developed. The most common method involves blasting the contaminated surface with high pressure water using a hydraulic jetting device with varying numbers of nozzles. A similar method involves using a hydraulic jetting device to blast the contaminated surface with particulate matter with such a force so as to overcome the rubber's attraction for the surface. The last of the more common methods of cleaning the surface of contaminants involves applying a rubber removal compound to the contaminated surface followed by vigorous scrubbing until the rubber has been removed.
There are several disadvantages encountered in the previously used techniques. Using removing compounds not only is time consuming and labor intensive, but also poses problems in that the compounds that are used may have harmful effects on the environment. While the high pressure water blasting technique is ecologically safe, it still suffers from the problems of time consumption in the case of single nozzle devices and expense in the case of multiple nozzle devices. Substituting particulate matter as the removing agent does nothing to alleviate these problems.
The advantages of the present invention over the prior art are the potential for saving both time and the cost of expensive equipment. Additionally, the present invention has the potential for producing a better cleaned surface, especially when compared to rubber removing compounds.